How to install Virtual Box and Ubuntu on Windows 7
Screenshot of Ubuntu on VirtualBox
X Window System + Emacs + FireFox + Terminal.
On My Mobile PC, Let's Note, The Linux Distribution works pretty good! For example,
- X Window runs almost out-of-Box. "almost" because it does not recognize the display size correctly so I needed to google and fix it.
- Firefox is pre-installed and goes well.
- Connecting to the Internet from the guest OS(Linux) is also out-of-box,
- Most importantly Linux system runs very stable.
- Even there is no problem after a hybernation of the machine(let's note). From my experience, it did not hybernate properly when I installed it natively(not on Virtual Machine).
The purpose of the Unix OS installation is Website development and management. So I quickly setup these things.
- Apache2 Web Server runs after apt-get. It runs out-of-"install" but a web server is not something you run with default settings. So you need to set up; user directory module activation, CGI hundle setting, etc.
- Emacs runs after apt-get install.
- It took a bit time for a network configuration accessing to the httpd on the guest OS(httpd on Linux) from the host OS(Chrome on Windows).
- ssh to the Web Server(physical server not httpd process); Authentication and Encryption settings, i.e. a RSA key pair settings.
Everything runs smoothly. Developping a Website on Windows is not so efficient, because there is no symbolic link, no CGI, etc. This system improves the efficiency of the development. (Note: You can set up many things on Windows to get closer to a unix system(e.g. cygwin) but it never comes to the same you have on unix if your webserver is a unix. )
Access Log Analysis.
I am taking statics from access log on the Web Server. if you have unix system, you can debug all on the test enviroment, which means you don't need to access the server. Thus you won't alter the access log by your own access, especially given debugging takes a lot of accesses.
I have just started to use SVN(subversion) for the distribution and management of my website. I have interested in the system for a long time, but I did not give a try until now. I found this system also will significanly improve the performance of a website development. I could test svn functions all thanks to Ubuntu on Virtualbox.
SVN is for a professional, so it is not easy for a beginner. Actually it took time to understand the concept and to setup all the things; Yes, it is one of the kind that you can not leave once you got (understood) it.
- Understand the concept. (you can not use it without understanding it)
- install svn(it is easy, get-apt install svn).
- svn settings, especially svn on ssh tunneling. (for security)
- learn svn commands.
- make a script for everyday use.
Now I am very curious about installing the Mac OS on VirtualBox. MacOS on Windows :) I have tried Hacintosh(OSX), but it took a long time to install and I found it was very very unstable. Practially it did not work.
Now I know how the linux runs on the Virtualbox. why not Mac OS? I will try to install it when I have time :) Mac OS is basically a Unix underneath, so it will runs many unix application, apache2, emacs, ssh, svn, etc like on Linux. Then why mac OS? of course there is a specific reason. I have my own iphone program, I have wanted to have the Xcode (iphone/ipad app development envrionment.) Actually that is why I tried to install OSX before, with no success... But maybe this time...